Max Kauffman Evokes His Watercolor Houses in New Mural

The “Colorado crush” is a well known name among graffiti festivals, celebrating Denver’s vibrant art scene time and time again. Now in its sixth year, a new crop of incredible installations have hit the Denver area. Among them is Max Kauffman’s, in which the artist covered an entire house. “My work for the last few years has been going deeper and deeper into an architectural realm, inspired by concepts of house versus home, of sanctuary, of solace from the chaos of the world around us.” The house purposefully sticks out against the backdrop of new condos and sleek new housing projects that are beginning to fill the neighborhood. The entire exterior of the house plays host to bright teals and deep maroon, accented with organic shapes invoking imagery of space and nature. Kaufman’s lines carry a sense of whimsy as he accents different parts of the house, playing with the architecture to accentuate different areas of the space.

Over the course of the painting, even the homeowner was inspired to pitch in and add to the mural. Creating sculptural elements made of wood, her work further inspired Kauffman and his volunteers, who made sculptures of their own and incorporated them into the piece, keeping with the project’s spirit of cultural inclusion. “The idea with the house was to celebrate culture. Honor it in the face of relentless growth. Gentrification is neither good or bad; it is simply a force,” Kauffman says. “Hopefully, this relic of what the neighborhood was will inspire the new citizens of Larimer by honoring the past. A message of heritage for those who may not know Denver’s rich past.”